Kotake S, Sato K, Kim KJ et al. He had initially responded to that agent but subsequently developed secondary lack of efficacy and alopecia areata. However you may receive ACTEMRA on its own if your doctor determines that initial treatment with MTX is inappropriate or unsuccessful. Rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and disability affect the risk of serious infection events in RADIUS 1. However, the use of these anti-TNFs has been linked to potentially serious adverse effects, particularly infections and malignancies. In the extension study, the use of prednisolone (10 mg daily maximum) and one NSAID was permitted. Urinary tract infections.

This was, therefore, unsuccessful in blocking IL-6 activity but others have been more successful at developing these antibodies.3 The current approach utilises a humanized anti-IL-6 receptor antibody, Tocilizumab (TCZ) (also known as MRA or Actemra). This can be as a direct extension of the pharmacologic effect, for example infections seen with abatacept due to suppression of T-cell function (Khraishi et al., 2010), as an indirect consequence of the pharmacologic effect, for example reactivation of cytomegalovirus (CMV) seen with alemtuzumab due to long-term depletion of T-cells (Laurenti et al., 2004), or as a consequence of expression of the target in undesired sites, for example cardiotoxicity of trastuzumab due to expression of Her2 by normal cardiac myocytes (Keefe, 2002). These agents have generally fallen into broad categories, including cytostatic agents (mycophenolic acid, pentostatin) [3–5], immunomodulating agents (mTor inhibitors, thalidomide, photopheresis) [6–9], and biologic therapies (rituximab, alemtuzumab, infliximab, denileukin difitox) [10–14]. The patients were divided into three groups receiving 2 (n = 4), 4 (n = 6) or 8 mg/kg (n = 5) of tocilizumab. Five weeks after the third infusion, she experienced a sudden decrease of vision. Discontinue treatment if anaphylaxis or other serious allergic reaction occurs. Before starting this medication, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis (TB).

Monitor neutrophils 4 to 8 weeks after start of therapy and every 3 months thereafter [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY]. If needed, treatment for tuberculosis or other infections should be given before receiving this medication.